"Match Ups"

A “Match Up” is when you have a coupon and match it up to current or upcoming sale items. Various websites, such as Hotcouponworld, Afullcup, and Couponmom all have match ups for different grocery stores each week. You can also Google search “Coupon Match up” plus the name of the store you shop. The sites do most of the work, including telling you which insert the coupon is in and from which week the coupons are from, or in the case of printable coupons, what website you can get printables from. Matching coupons with sales is the number one way to save money when using coupons.

Depending on where the writer of the match up gets their information on sales and coupons, the coupons you receive may be slightly different in value. Additionally, not all products are carried nationwide, so there may be some variants in the advertisements and coupons you receive.

You can also do your our match ups by making your shopping list and grabbing the circular for your favorite store from the junk mail. Most stores run sales starting at the opening of business on Wednesday until the following Tuesday at close of business, so you’ll get your circulars in Monday’s junk mail- that gives you 2 days to do your own match up scenarios. Once you have the list, and your circular, take a look at what’s on sale that you need and you can match your coupons.

Remember to go to the store at “off” times (not right after work or Saturday afternoon) when you are new to couponing so you do not feel rushed, and it’s always better to shop alone, so you can stick to your list, guilt free.

I like to circle the items in the advertisements that I am going to buy and bring the ad with me to the store. I pull my coupons, and put them in a zip lock bag. I put them in the front of my coupon wallet. I always bring my entire wallet with me- JUST IN CASE. You never know when something will be on clearance or when there will be an item that the store accidentally ordered too much of and they had to mark it down!

Match up Examples

Match up sites generally use a type of short hand to save posters time when they are typing up all of their deals!
Lingo: There will be a set of initials that indicate where the coupon came from.
SS: Smart Source,
PG: Proctor and Gamble- sometimes P&G
RP: Red Plum (In selected markets Red Plum doesn’t come in the paper, it comes in the weekly junk mail),
IP: Internet Printable (Most match up websites will link to the site where the printable came from)
Then there are the other usual sorts of coupons: Blinkies, in magazine (followed by the name and month), direct mail, on package, in package.

Then a date will be listed, this will be the date the insert was in the paper. On the cover of the coupons, on the spine there will be the date and the “market” the coupons are for. Example: 10/10/10 San Diego Union Tribune.

Here are a couple of examples from the 1/13/10-1/13/10 Albertson’s ad:

Coffee-mate Flavored Creamer 16oz $1.99 ($.50/1 RP 11-01)

Raisin Bran 20oz ( $1/1 Package coupons & Peelies, $1.50/2 Redplum IP) This example gives you a couple different coupons to choose from. Remember one manufacturer paper coupon PER ITEM purchased. You can’t use all of these coupons on one package/item.